When I give out a copy of Streams in the Desert, I always recommend that the devotion be read followed by reading the Bible chapter that the verse is taken from, in today's case, Matthew chapter 9. Before I get to Matthew 9, let's look at a few of the statements in today's readings:
"Praying through" might be defined as praying one's way into full faith,..." c-bug said once during devotions, "we cannot go around this or under this, we have to go through this." She was referring to the grief and mourning that lay ahead of her and her family.
"...no earthly circumstances can hinder the fulfillment of His Word..." Thank God that our ignorance, mistakes, wants, etc. cannot thwart the fulfillment of His promises.
So, reading today's devotion, I am left looking at the verse "According to your faith be it unto you." I read chapter 9 of Matthew and in this chapter there are several examples of Jesus healing according to the faith of those in need. "When Jesus saw their faith" bringing the lame man to Him, He healed (9:2). To the woman who touched the hem of His garment to be made well, He said, "your faith has made you well"(9:22). He raised the daughter of the ruler from the dead because the ruler believed He could (9:18). Two blind men begged Him for mercy, and He asked, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" and then He told them, "According to your faith let it be to you." Again he heals a mute and demon possessed man because of the faith demonstrated in the act of bringing this man to Jesus (9:32). Again and again, we see in this chapter the deomonstration of faith and the results of the faith.
In Luke 17:5, the disciples cry out to Jesus, "Lord, increase our faith." This is what our prayer needs to be every day. Our faith is not to be left stale or 'as is' but instead, it should be increasing every day. This beggs the question, How?? How do we increase our faith? I have begun reading a book by E. M. Bounds (an author introduced to me in Streams) and I will share with you some of his comments that I highlighted yesterday (while I was getting highlights LOL):
"Faith is increased by exercise, by being put into use. It is nourished by sore trials."
"Faith grows by reading and meditation upon the Word of God. Most, and best of all, faith thrives in an atmosphere of prayer."
"Doubt and fear are the twin foes of faith."
In closing for today, I leave this quote found also in E.M. Bounds book "The Necessity of Prayer."
"Ask of God more faith. Beg of Him morning, and noon and night, while you walk by the way, while you sit in the house, when you lie down and when you rise up; beg of him simply to impress divine things more deeply on your heart, to give you more and more of the substance of things hoped for and of the evidence of things not seen." -anonymous
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